Hydrogen peroxide-persulfate hair bleaching enhanced by ammonium or an alkali metal peroxydiphosphate

ABSTRACT

PROCESS OF BLEACHING HAIR AT SUBSTANTIALLY ROOM TEMPERATURE WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE (OR A COMPOUND YIELDING HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION) AND EITHER AMMONIUM PERSULFATE OR AN ALKALI METAL PERSULFATE, IN WHICH THE BLEACHING EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ABOVE MIXTURE IS ENHANCED BY ADDING EITHER AMMONIUM OR AN ALKALI METAL PEROXYDIPHOSPHATE THERETO.

Unite States ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Process of bleaching hair atsubstantially room temperature with an aqueous solution of hydrogenperoxide (or a compound yielding hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solution)and either ammonium persulfate or an alkali metal persulfate, in whichthe bleaching effectiveness of the above mixture is enhanced by addingeither ammonium or an alkali metal peroxydiphosphate thereto.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is acontinuationinpart of application Ser. No. 733,268, filed May 31, 1968,in the name of Bernard Cohen, which application is now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (A) Field of the invention This inventionrelates to an improvement in the bleaching of hair with compositionscontaining hydrogen peroxide and persulfate compounds.

('B) Description of the prior art It is known that aqueous solutions ofcertain compounds, namely hydrogen peroxide and hydrogenperoxidegenerating compounds such as sodium perborates, are effective inbleaching human hair or keratinous materials. However, when the hairbleaching process is conducted under substantially ambient temperatures,i.e., temperatures of about 50 to about 100 F., the bleaching reactionis slow unless highly alkaline conditions are used. Since highlyalkaline conditions can damage the hair fibers, it is undesirable toconduct bleaching operations with excessively alkaline solutions inorder to minimize degradation of the hair fibers.

In an effort to increase the rate of bleaching with these hydrogenperoxide products, an activator is used in conjunction with the hydrogenperoxide. A most effective activator presently employed is either anammonium or an alkali metal persulfate or mixtures thereof. While thecombination of hydrogen peroxide and persulfates has been found tobleach hair within satisfactory periods, a more effective bleachingmixture has been desired which increases the intensity of bleach withoutincreasing the bleaching time.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to utilize ableaching composition for bleaching hair at room temperature, withgreatest possible color change, without increasing bleaching periods,and without damaging the hair fibers.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following descriptionof the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has now been found that enhanced bleachingof human hair at temperatures of from about 50 to about 100 F. can beobtained when employing a mixture of hydrogen peroxide (or hydrogenperoxide yielding comatom 4 Claims Patented Mar. 21, 1972 DESCRIPTION OFTHE INVENTION AND THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In carrying out the presentinvention, an aqueous hydro gen peroxide solution is made up containingfrom about 4 to 8% by weight hydrogen peroxide. The preferred solutionnormally contains about 6% by weight of hydrogen peroxide (on a hydrogenperoxide basis). The peroxide solution can be obtained by simplydissolving hydrogen peroxide in water or by dissolving inorganicperoxide compounds which contain peroxide oxygen and which liberatehydrogen peroxide in water. Suitable inorganic peroxy compounds aremetallic peroxides of the kind which on addition to water form an alkaliand generate hydrogen peroxide. Suitable salts include the alkali metalpercarbonates and perborates. Sodium perborate is preferred as a solidcompound which will yield hydrogen peroxide in water.

To the above solution thus prepared is then added an alkali metal orammonium persulfate. Among the alkali metal persulfates which aresuitable are the sodium and potassium persulfates. These compounds areadded in amounts of from about 5 to 15% by weight of the solution.Preferably, the persulfate salt is added in amounts of at least about10% by weight of the solution.

In the makeup of the bleaching solution, the persulfate should be addedjust prior to utilizing the bleaching solution for bleaching hair.Otherwise, its activation effect is lost On standing or prolongedstorage. The persulfate activator which is added to the above hydrogenperoxide bleaching solution is desired because hydrogen peroxidesolutions do not effectively bleach hair at room temperature, i.e., 50to 100 F., in satisfactory periods of time. As a result, the persulfateactivator increases the activity of the hydrogen peroxide solution andshortens the bleaching time. The above bleaching solution isconventionally utilized and well known in the art and forms no part ofthe instant invention.

In accordance with the present invention, the above solution of hydrogenperoxide and a persulfate salt is then mixed with either an ammonium oralkali metal peroxydiphosphate. The alkali metal perphosphates which areespecially useful are the tetrapotassium and tetrasodiumperoxydiphosphates. These peroxydiphosphate salts can be added inamounts as low as 8% by weight of the persulfate salt utilized. Apreferred amount is about 20% by weight of the persulfate salt used insolution. For example, in the makeup of a liter of bleaching solution,the hydrogen peroxide would constitute about 6% or 60 grams; the alkalimetal persulfate would constitute about 100 grams or about 10% ofsolution; and the alkali metal perphosphate would constitute about 20%of the persulfate or 20 grams of alkali metal perphosphate salt, theremainder being water.

In using the above bleaching solution on hair, a waterinsolublethickener is generally added to the bleaching composition in order toobtain a thicker consistency for easy application to the hair. Among thesuitable waterinsoluble thickeners are compounds such as calciumcarbonate, magnesium carbonate, plaster of Paris and other inertfillers, such as talc, kaolin and bentonite. A light magnesium carbonatehas been found most suitable for this purpose. Other ingredients canalso be used along with the thickeners to facilitate application, suchas wetting agents, solvents, buffering agents, and the like. These aretermed a bleach base and use in admixture with the peroxygen compoundand the activators and/or enhancers.

The pH of the bleaching solution should be maintained within 7 to 9.3,preferably within the pH range of about 8.5 to 9. This can be done byincorporating a suitable level of buffering agent, for instance a saltof a strong alkali and a Weak acid. Among the buffering compounds whichcan be used are ammonium bicarbonate, ammonium bisulfate, potassiumhydrogen phthalate, tartaric acid, ammonium hydrogen tartrate and acidammonium salts of polybasic inorganic and organic acids, such as forexample, diammonium phosphate.

In the present bleaching system the use of buffers to adjust the pH ofthe bleaching composition is generally not necessary. The addedperoxydiphosphate enhancer maintains the pH within the desired pH rangeof 7 to 9. However, if added buffers are desired, these can be added toraise or lower the pH of the bleaching mixture to specified values.

In the above embodiments of the invention, a hydrogen peroxide solutioncontaining the added persulfate and peroxydiphosphate is made up justprior to bleaching and applied to the hair. However, in anotherembodiment of the present invention, a solid mixture containing a solidperoxide-containing compound, e.g., sodium perborate, is admixed with analkali metal peroxysulfate and either ammonium or an alkali metalperoxydiphosphate. This mixture can be shipped, stored or handled insolid form as a complete bleaching mixture without the need of liquids.The mixture is stable in the dry state, easily handled and need only beadded to water to form the desired peroxygen bleaching solution. This inturn may be combined with a bleach base which is a mixture of wettingagents, bufiers, thickeners, solvents, and the like, to produce thefinal bleaching mixture.

In another embodiment of the invention, the peroxysulfate andperoxydiphosphate components of the present bleaching mixture can bepackaged together as solids without decomposing, and these in turn canbe added to a peroxygen solution to form the desired bleaching mixture,along with a bleach base as described above just prior to use.

The present bleaching system has many advantages over the priorbleaching compositions. Initially, it bleaches faster than peroxidesolutions containing only a persulfate activator. The peroxydiphosphateenhancer allows the composition to bleach faster and to remove morecolor or stain than similar bleaching systems which do not contain theperoxydiphosphate enhancer. Most importantly, the present processoperates well at low temperatures, particularly at the normal ambienttemperatures used in bleaching hair, i.e., about 50 to about 100 F.

Of particular importance in the present bleaching application is thefact that the present peroxydiphosphate compounds do not attack the hairor degrade it in any way, even in high concentrations. This isconsidered most unusual, since peroxygen activators normally cause someundesired degradation of the hair fibers during the bleaching processes.The present peroxydiphosphate enhancer is most selective in that itpermits better bleaching within shorter amounts of time with no increasein the attack on the hair fibers. Also, the peroxydiphosphates are nottoxic and no special handling problems present themselves in the use ofthese compositions.

The following examples are given to illustrate the present invention andare not deemed to be limiting thereof.

EXAMPLE 1 Run A-Process of the invention A bleach base was made upcontaining the following ingredients:

Ingredients: Percent by weight Propylene glycol 15 Oleic acid 40 Stearylamine 20 Isopropanol .15 Ammonium hydroxide (28%) An activator mixturewas also made up separate from the bleach base containing the followingingredients:

Ingredients: Percent by weight Ammonium peroxydisulfate Tetrapotassiumperoxydiphosphate 20 To 8 ml. of an aqueous 6% hydrogen peroxidesolution was added 4 ml. of the above bleach base and 1.25 g. of theactivator mixture, as set forth above. The resulting composition wasthoroughly blended and was applied to 0.2 g. of standard black hair. Thecomposition was allowed to remain in contact with the hair at roomtemperature (25 C.) for 30 minutes. At the end of this period, the hairsample was rinsed with water and dried. The hair sample was found to bewell bleached and when examined under a microscope was not found to bedegraded.

The hair sample of Run A was then compared with the hair sample of Run Bas set forth hereinafter, and was found to be of a lighter color thanthe hair bleached with the same mixture in which the peroxydiphosphatewas omitted. Upon examination of both hair sample s, neither showed anydamage to the hair fibers.

Run BProcess of the prior art The same procedure as in Run A was carriedout except that in place of the activator mixture only ammoniumperoxydisulfate was used in the amount of 1.25 grams. The resulting hairsample was notably darker than that bleached by the procedure in Run Ain which the tetrapotassium peroxidiphosphate was used as an activator.

EXAMPLE 2 The procedure of Example 1, Run A was repeated using potassiumperoxydisulfate and sodium peroxydiphosphate with exactly the sameresults.

EXAMPLE 3 The procedure of Example 1, Run A was repeated except that inplace of the aqueous 6% hydrogen peroxide solution 7.4 g. of perboratetetrahydrate containing 10.6% active oxygen was used in 8 ml. water. Theaqueous perborate mixture was then mixed with the activator mixture ofExample 1, Run A to form the bleaching composition. On applying thisbleaching composition to 0.2 g. of standard black hair, for 30 minutesat room temperature, the bleached hair was found to be of substantiallythe same color as that set forth in Example 1, Run A.

While the present application has been illustrated by bleaching humanhair, it is to be understood that all keratinous fibers can be bleachedin an identical fashion including wool, furs, feathers, and the like.Accordingly, the bleaching of all such keratinous fibers using thepresent peroxydiphosphate activator is expressly within the scope of thepresent invention.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Patent Statutes, the principle ofthis invention has been explained and exemplified in a manner so that itcan be readily practiced by those skilled in the art, suchexemplification including what is considered to represent the bestembodiment of the invention. However, it should be clearly understoodthat, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may bepracticed by those skilled in the art, and having the benefit of thisdisclosure otherwise than as specifically described and exemplifiedherein.

What is claimed is:

1. In the process of bleaching a member selected from the groupconsisting of human hair and keratinous fibers at temperatures of about50 to F. by contacting said member with a composition containing asessential ingredients, an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution and amember selected from the group consisting of ammonium persulfate andalkali metal persulfate, the improvement which comprises carrying outsaid bleaching in the presence of an effective amount of a memberselected from 5 the group consisting of ammonium peroxydiphosphate andan alkali metal peroxydiphosphate.

2. Process of claim 1 in which a member selected from the groupconsisting of ammonium peroxydiphosphate and alkali metalperxydiphosphate is employed in amounts of at least about 8% by weightof the compound selected from the group consisting of ammoniumpersulfate and alkali metal per sulfate.

3. Process of claim 1 wherein the material being bleached is human hair.

4. A composition for bleaching human hair at temperatures from about 50to about 100 R, which contains as the essential elements, hydrogenperoxide in amounts of 4 to 8% by weight, a member selected from thegroup consisting of ammonium persulfate and alkali metal persulfate inamounts of 5 to 15% by weight, and a member selected from the groupconsisting of ammonium peroxydiphosphate and alkali metalperoxydiphosphate in amounts of .5 to 3.0% by weight, all said essentialelements being dissolved in an aqueous medium.

References Cited 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,077,103 4/1937 Franz -8-l1l.53,193,464 7/1965 Edman et a1. 424-62 3,218,234 11/1965 Wilmsmann et a1.424-62 X 10 3,378,444 4/1968 Swanson 424-62 OTHER REFERENCES HackhsChemical Dictionary, 3rd ed., The Blakiston Co., Philadelphia, Pa.,(1944), p. 634.

' ALBERT T. MEYERS, Primary Examiner V. C. CLARK-E, Assistant Examiner

